How Vedic Astrology does a Deep Dive into Career and the World of Work
...understanding the insights of the D-10 Varga chart
In the ancient world, the D-10 Varga chart was not considered one of the most important among the many divisional charts used in Vedic astrology. At that time, your “career” and public standing was in many ways predetermined by the social status, wealth and occupation of your family, not to mention your gender.
Fast forward to the 21st century, and this chart has most definitely become of primary importance. In fact, one of the main reasons clients seek out a Vedic astrology consultation is because they find themselves at a crossroads in their career.
What’s next for me professionally?
What types of jobs suit me best?
How can I find more meaningful work and have greater success?
Help! I’m in a dead end job and need insight about which direction to go.
Should I risk it all and go into business for myself?
Why am I constantly having problems with backstabbing bosses?
These are the kinds of questions that can be answered by doing a deep dive into the D-10.
Where to see career in your Vedic astrology chart
Unlike Western astrology, which mostly focuses on a person’s primary birth chart to interpret potential and life circumstance, Jyotish (Vedic astrology) uses a wide range of divisional charts, also known as Varga charts. These chart act as a magnifying glass on the important life topics represented in the 12 houses of your chart.
The example I’m exploring in this post is the D-10. Also called the Daśāṁśa (Sanskrit for 10th division), the D-10 is connected to the 10th house of career and public standing in your primary birth chart.
This is the go-to chart to gain insight on job-related questions as well as understand your career potential in a deeper way.
5 things you can see in the D-10
Like your primary birth chart, the D-10 is made up of 12 different houses. However, these houses have a different meaning which relates directly to career and social standing.
Let’s look at five examples of key career-related details you can see in the D-10 chart.
Bosses and mentors
You can see your boss and/or mentors in the 9th house of the D-10. For example, if you have a strong moon in this house, you probably have bosses who are emotionally supportive, while if you have a weak moon here, you have a boss who tends to be overly moody, fickle and childish.
It’s also important to look at the lord of this house. This refers to the planet that rules the sign the house is in. If the lord of the 9th house is strong in the 11th house, your boss is likely to help you make gains in your career, especially when that planet is activated by dasha. On the other hand, if the lord is weak and in the 3rd house, this could indicate a flaky boss who’s always away on vacation or short leave, which means their employees are left having to hold down the fort.
If the D-10 lagna lord (i.e., ruler of the first house) is in the 9th, this means you want to the boss – whether or not you actually are.
Potential and/or desire to be self-employed
In the D-10, the 6th house is the house of “service” and the 7th is the house of the entrepreneur. If you have more planets in the 6th house, you’re more likely to work for other people, while if you have more in the 7th, you’re more likely to be self-employed.
If you have no planets in either, you look to other factors, like lordship and aspects, to gain insight on this.
It’s worth noting, however, that this does not necessarily mean “success” in owning your own business. In fact, there are some planets, like Mars, that indicate major struggles in business when placed in the 7th.
Your office or place of work
You can see your office, or where you work, in the 4th house of the D-10. If your D-10 Lagna lord is there, you think about your office all the time. If a strong Venus is there, having a beautiful office full of art, luxury and comfort will be priority.
If you have a strong Saturn there, you will either prefer an office in an old building with antiques or an industrial loft with minimalist decor. However, if a weak Saturn is the D-10 4th, this would indicate a place of work that is dirty and run down.
What gives you status and success in career
Any planet in the 10th house of the D-10 chart has the potential to give you career success. It’s also important to consider aspects to this house or planets, which indicate other options and nuances.
For example, the Moon here can show success in professions such as nursing, counselling, hospitality or public administration. Jupiter could show teaching, scholarly or spiritual/religious career, or the legal profession. Venus can mean artistic professions as well as working in the private sector, especially in sales, PR or marketing.
Retirement
In the D-10, you see retirement in the 8th house. People with exalted benefics here are the types who might retire early after making a fortune. A weak malefic may indicate difficulties retiring due to financial constraints.
So, is this all just a parlour trick?
I can see why it might seem like it is.
Although it’s kind of neat that Vedic astrology can describe what your office looks like, what good does it really do?
The answer? A lot.
For example, what just seems like a snap shot of your place of work (D-10 4th house) can actually give you tips on how to better succeed. If you have Jupiter there, a desk made of wood will be more supportive to your professional endeavors while if you have the moon there, it would more ideal to choose one made of glass. Mars indicates a building made of brick with only a few stories, whereas Ketu suggests working in a high-rise.
If you have a boss from hell, the planets, aspects and house lord of the 9th can be used to determine which remedies are needed to improve the situation, as well as ensure you don’t get another boss like that in the future.
Timing systems, like Vimshottari dasha, are also used in the D-10 chart and can be very helpful if someone has questions about when would be the best time to retire or when they will likely be offered a new job.
On that same note, if the lord of the 7th house is active by dasha, you may have a sudden desire to open a business. However, if the D-10 strongly indicates that you’re better suited to employment, it would be good to have this knowledge as you weigh your options.
Definitely an extremely important divisional chart to work with, and one of my favorites.
Michelle R. Dean is a Vedic astrologer and writer based in Berlin. To find out more about Michelle, swing by here.